California Wine

The only white I was able to taste the 2012 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard is outstanding. Coming from older vines and spending 16 months in 25% new French oak prior to bottling it offers a beautiful bouquet of lemon curd... Read More

"Another wine with plenty of near and medium-term appeal the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon is built on texture and ripeness. Dark red cherry plum smoke tobacco and spices flesh out in a supple super-ripe Cabernet Sauvignon with no hard... Read More

The estate-grown 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Mon Chevalier is a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon 4% Cabernet Franc 1% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot. Very deep purple-black in color it charges forth with intense notes of crushed black... Read More

Ma Princesse comes from the Ritchie vineyard in Russian River planted to Old Wente clone selection from vines that are 50+ years old. A barrel sample to be bottled in February 2021 the 2019 Chardonnay Ma Princesse needs a little... Read More

The 2017 Chardonnay Estate is beautifully expressed this vintage scented of warm citrus honeycomb and a singular undercurrent of spices. The palate is satiny with full ripe fruit energized by bright freshness and mineral character... Read More

It's a new day for this producer which is stepping slightly off the gas to make more nuanced balanced wines. This is no exception: a restrained offering of earthy mushroom soy cedar leather and juicy red fruit that disentangles... Read More

Deep garnet-purple in color the 2016 Merlot Sangiacomo Vineyard has quite a profound nose of crushed black plums crème de cassis and baked blackberries with suggestions of spice cake licorice and violets. Big rich and full-bodied... Read More

The 2015 Petite Sirah Palisades comes from that well-known Napa vineyard up near Calistoga. This is another big meaty wine with lots of white flowers blackberry and cassis a huge chewy mouthfeel and some pepper smoke and barbecue... Read More

The 2018 Petit Sirah Palisades Vineyard is sumptuous racy and explosive. Inky and voluptuous to the core with soft curves and tremendous fruit intensity the 2018 has it all. Crème de cassis blueberry jam spice lavender menthol... Read More

Expressive and refined with a subtly complex core of raspberry toasted sage and black pepper flavors that builds richness toward well-heeled tannins. Drink now through 2026.

The 2019 Zinfandel Teldeschi Vineyard Frank’s Block deep ruby-purple in color unfurls slowly to very pretty scents of tangerine and blue and red berry preserves layers of dried lavender garrigue and apricot. The palate is medium-bodied... Read More

The 2019 Zinfandel Old Hill Ranch has a medium ruby-purple color and restrained aromas of mixed berry preserves apricot and citrus peel with floral notes. The palate is soft grainy delicately styled and very pretty with layers... Read More

The 2017 Zinfandel Bedrock Vineyard is another impressive wine in this range. Red cherry jam wild flowers mint and blood orange all run through this polished absolutely irresistible Zinfandel from Joel Peterson. A kiss of sweetness... Read More

Opus One had picked 91% of their fruit before the fires started in 2017 and only two lots were eliminated from consideration. The 2017 Opus One bottled in July 2019 is a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon 8.5% Petit Verdot 5% Cabernet... Read More

The 2019 Hexameter is a powerful brooding wine that is going to need at least a handful of years to come together. The aromatics usually so expressive here are quite hushed. Instead what stands out is the wine huge core of fruit... Read More

Coming from a mix of terrific sites (Oakville Ranch Georges III Montagne) and blended with 13% Malbec and brought up in 75% new oak the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a beautifully layered medium to full-bodied barrel... Read More

The 2019 Patrimony Cabernet Sauvignon was made with free-run juice and matured for 30 months in 100% new French oak. It has a deep ruby color and alluring tones of truffle brown sugar and coffee to begin opening with time to very... Read More

The 2020 Chardonnay Goldberg Variations No. 3 Hyde Vineyard comes from a great site in Carneros in the southern part of the Napa Valley. It has a pure clean classy nose of ripe melon and honeyed apples as well as notes of toasted... Read More

From one of the iconic sites in Carneros the 2021 Chardonnay Goldberg Variations No. 4 Hyde Vineyard will give a great vintage from Aubert a run for its money. Ripe pineapple honeyed lemon candle wax green almond and toasted bread... Read More

The 2020 Chardonnay Kokoro is a selection made by Lato and comes from the single vineyards. Aged 16 months in 60% new French oak it reveals a lighter gold hue to go with an incredibly pure and precise nose of stone fruits honeyed... Read More